As the key component of a loudspeaker, the membrane is at the heart of our acoustic engineers' research. After more than five years of research and development, in 2013 Focal unveiled an exclusive membrane made from flax. Patented, this Flax cone is a sandwich made of very high quality French flax fibre placed between two thin sheets of glass fibre. It satisfies all the criteria of a high-fidelity membrane: lightness to offer good dynamics, rigidity to hold the bass and damping to deliver a neutral, natural, uncolored sound. It is an emblematic Focal innovation in many hi-fi products.

Membrane shape and materials are essential. For the finest treble, our engineers have patented the inverted dome tweeter, a Focal signature. The inverted dome shape offers the advantage of low directionality and a small-diameter, lightweight coil for better acceleration. As for the materials used, they combine the key points of a good loudspeaker: aluminum increases dome rigidity and reduces distortion, while the addition of magnesium provides excellent damping. The surround that connects the dome to its support uses Poron, a shape-memory material. This surround is derived from the famous Utopia Beryllium tweeter, and reduces distortion by a factor of three between 2000 Hz and 3000 Hz, where the ear is most sensitive.